Professor Debunks Beef Myths

I think beef producers are getting the hang of this advocacy thing. From social networks to traditional letters to the editor, agriculture is making good progress in educating consumers, providing quotes to the media and interacting with political activist groups. A
BEEF Daily reader recently sent me a link to an editorial he had written that was recently published in the
Rockford Register Star in Illinois. Dom Castaldo will make you proud as he debunks common beef myths about imports, BSE, hormones and humane harvesting of animals. This is an excellent example of agriculture advocacy at work. Have you shared the agriculture story this week?

Here is an excerpt of Castaldo's editorial:

"I recently received two 'urgent' e-mails that a fast-food chain was using unsafe foreign beef in its burgers. My students tell me they won’t eat beef because it is loaded with hormones. Others tell me that humans can get mad cow disease from eating beef. People ask me whether cattle are tortured before they are slaughtered. These statements are simply not true. I want to set the record straight about beef. "

BEEF Daily Quick Fact: Zinc may not be a nutrient that you think about a lot, but your body needs it for many essential functions such as growth and development, maintenance of the body's immune system, wound healing and appetite control. Beef is the number one source of zinc in the American diet. A 3-oz. serving of beef provides 39% of the zinc most people need in a day. In addition to containing a high level of absorbable zinc, meat also increases the absorption of zinc from other foods when eaten at the same meal. (Source: Utah Beef Council)